Thursday, 29 August 2013

Born Imaobong Regina Askia Usoro, in 1967 in Lagos, Nigeria, Reggie (as her close friends call her) has come a long way. The brilliant beauty with brains and brawn has no doubt paid her dues as a beauty queen, a model, an actress,, and now an American based registered nurse, health and social activist, an entrepreneur, a writer, TV producer, movie maker, radio host and public speaker. She is proudly the CEO of Olympia Daycare, Regine Promotions, Regine Fashions, Trinity Ventures among others.

Her journey to fame started in 1988 while studying Medicine at the University of Lagos, and was crowned Miss Unilag. Still in 1988, she competed in the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria beauty pageant which led her towards representing Nigeria at Miss Charm International, held in Leningrad, Russia where she was the first runner up. Following that, she represented Nigeria at the Miss International held in Osaka Japan. She afterwards began her modelling career, which made her grace a lot of magazine covers, and TV commercials in Nigeria. Her most famous appearances were Visine by Pfizer, Kessingsheen Hair Care, Collectibles Clothing Line, 2000-N-Six Face Cleansing Range, which she did alongside her daughter, Stephanie Hornecker also a model.

In her kitty are lofty projects like her 2005 fashion show at the Nigerian Embassy in New York City to raise awareness for the plight of children's social amenities in Nigeria, her 2006 charity fashion show at Lehman College in Bronx, New York, which displayed the creations of top African designers as well as her own label, Regine Fashions. Her most outstanding awards are her year 2000 'Best Actress in Nigeria' award by Afro Hollywood, London and her 2007 award by the Celebrating African Motherhood Organization (CAM) Washington, D.C.

She is presently gearing up for her 2013 Recognition Award by the Organisers of Diamond Special Recognition Awards Worldwide, a UK based global awards company that goes from country to country celebrating notable and outstanding personalities.

Sunday, 25 August 2013

As we reported previously; one time Nollywood actor turned politician, Olarotimi Makinde finally tied the knot with his beau, Banke on Saturday, 24th August Sir Shina Peters was on the bandstand. The venue was filled with well wishers who are mostly the groom's politician friends and his Nollywood colleagues.

Wednesday, 21 August 2013

THE 5 MINUTE INTERVIEW....Talented Nollywood actor, Olayemi Solade was our guest on the hot seat recently. Here are excerpts...How did your acting journey begin?Acting for me started in 1977 during the 2nd World Festival of Arts And Culture (FESTAC) hosted by Nigeria. I featured in LANGBODO, Nigeria's entry for the arts fiesta.Has acting open any door for you?Acting has opened several positive doors for me and I've been good enough at pooling from such doors. What is your most challenging role?"JANKARIWO", a stage play written by Ben Tomoloju has remained my most challenging work. I got the script a night before the performance because the director fell out with the lead actor and threw the challenge on my laps. I took up the challenge, got my lines overnight and went ahead to deliver. It was tedious but fun.Why do some of your colleagues call you proud?I don't get to hear my colleagues call me proud. I hear them say I'm principled and radically minded and very professional. What are the advantages of being a Nollywood star? The advantages of being a star are enormous. Recognition is the first. Acceptance is another. These bring about opening of doors in greater sense and bigger offers come in so handy.How do you cope with female fans?I cope with my female fans the way they cope with me. We have been on the roller-coaster for years and we're used to having semblance of a perfect relationship.Would you call yourself a ladies man?I don't see myself as a ladies man. Far from it. I think ladies appreciate my substance as a professional actor who works and delivers with great passion.What is your reaction to the story that went round about you sending your nude photo to a married woman?That story is a hoax. It was a case of a fan who got overwhelmed and didnt know how to relate with a celebrity. The photo in focus was from a movie scene and it showed my bare chest sitting on the bed. No nude photo was sent to any woman, a married woman at that. The fan in question wanted what I could not offer and my reaction to the issue made her blow her lid and she started to malign my name. And your wife's reaction to that?My wife knows that some ladies are so desperate to have other women's husbands and when the matter brokered, I led her into it. So, she knew the whole story and wasn't disturbed.What would you say is holding your marriage together?GOD has been the pivot of my marriage. I strive to manage what GOD has blessed me with and my wife does a lot in the area of support - emotionally and spiritually.What would you have done instead of facing the camera?I'd rather be a teacher if not facing the camera.What is your favourite pastime?Favourite pastime is staying online and attending to messages from friends and well-wishers, listening to music and playing pranks with my family.Where do you want to see Nollywood in the next 10years?I see Nollywood stabilising and getting a lot right in 10 years. More professionals and capitalists would come on the scene to shore up the waves.Can we meet your family?Hannah Marsh is my wife, and we are blessed with two very adorable children- Kofoworola and Omofela.How do you manage your homefront?My wife and I have always had an ingenious methodology in running our home. Since she's not materialistic, that helps me to keep my head well seated on my neck, and above my shoulders. I owe my wife to the smooth running of the home-front.Your most embarrassing moment?My most embarrassing moment was when my penis was peeping from my zipper as I performed on stage without taking cognisance. I just wondered why the audience reeled in laughter and the whole theatre was in delirium (Laughter)

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Popular Nollywood actress, Omolola Christiana Alao on Thursday 8th day of August got married to her beau, Wale Ajibola at a quiet ceremony in an Atlanta, Georgia marriage registry. Lola has been seeing Wale, an IT Consultant for a while now and they both finally decided to seal it up. The newly wed see no reason why the marriage would not work because they have both gone through matrimonial challenges before, and they have both had their fair share of the rigours. Lola is presently bonding with her new man and is not in a hurry to come back to Nigeria and the Nollywood scene.